More Than Just a Pretty Picture (book)

By: Marti Gorman | Posted September 8th, 2016

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Some books are just plain beautiful. Clover and the Shooting Star certainly is. "Charming" and "adorable" are the first exclamations I hear as people turn the stiff, sturdy pages of this delightful little board book.

The story is both simple and sincere. When the brief brilliance of a shooting star touches Clover the Rabbit’s heart, he is so excited that he wants to share its beauty with his forest friends. But Mole had her head down a hole, Possum was busy with her babies, and Porcupine was having a bad hair day. Clover begins to cry. Then wise old Owl shows him how shooting stars are remembered forever. Hint: fireflies play a bright role here. Watch the book trailer.

But this beautiful book for the youngest of pre-readers is so much more than just a (very) pretty picture book that will capture the imagination of even the tiniest toddler. Clover and the Shooting Star is also an important new tool for parents, grandparents and caregivers faced with helping very young children cope with loss.

This story of wonder and hope is how an artist copes with grief. Heather Lynn Harris was mourning the untimely death of her niece, to whom the book is dedicated, when Clover was born. The story and her lovely rendition of it turned out to be the perfect starting point for the difficult conversations about that terrible loss with the youngest members of her family,

How do you talk to toddlers about death? Clover and the Shooting Star does not tell you how, but instead offers a metaphor that even a very young child can understand. You keep that loved one in your heart, where the fireflies keep the light of the shooting star, like a loved one we have lost too soon, in their hearts.

Buffalo Heritage Press published this important tale to make it available to the many young children struggling to cope with loss, be it of a grandparent, a parent, a sibling or a pet.

Come see Clover and the Shooting Star take off at “Star-Watching Rock” at Chestnut Ridge Park at 2:00pm on on Sunday, September 11. This very appropriate date is far from accidental. Not only does it commemorate the many souls lost on that day 15 years ago, it is also the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Harris' niece Nicole. This book is dedicated to her memory. You will meet the very talented Heather Lynn Harris, and the reception at the Chestnut Ridge Casino will feature a walk through the forest with Clover and shooting stars.

This new book is certainly worth celebrating. It also makes a perfect gift for just about anyone you love who is under the age of 5! Come to the party to purchase your copies and have them signed. Or purchase one online at anytime. Just $9.95.

So this is a great story, right? Here's the icing on the cake. Most board books are made offshore, primarily in China, Cambodia and South Korea. Clover and the Shooting Star, however, was produced right here in Western New York. In fact, Pint Size in Sanborn, produces all of the board books made in America. A natural partnership formed to locally produce this beautiful board book.

About the author:

Heather Lynn Harris lives in Orchard Park with her husband and three children. Her first book is The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson, also published by Buffalo Heritage Press. By re-illustrating this classic verse for a contemporary audience, Harris hoped to introduce this poem to a whole new generation of children. She both wrote and illustrated Clover and the Shooting Star. Harris is an acclaimed artist, and teaches business and marketing at Niagara University.

Finally, full disclosure: I am the publisher. Can you tell how excited I am about this beautiful book? It may be the most important book I have ever published, and I'm at 100+ and counting.

Clover and the Shooting Star Takes Off

Sun Sep 11th

Sun Sep 11th

Chestnut Ridge Park

6121 Chestnut Ridge Rd Orchard Park, NY 14127

Celebrate the publication of Western New York's most beautiful board book. Clover and the Shooting Star, by Heather Lynn Harris, is a beautifully illustrated story that will capture the imagination of…